Doctor Who: Series 2 Volume 3 (DVD)

The third volume of the series two vanilla DVDs again features three episodes with a total combined running length of almost two and a quarter hours.

Tom MacRae’s Rise of the Cybermen and The Age of Steel see the long anticipated appearance of the redesigned Cybermen. With some excellent direction by Doctor Who veteran Graeme Harper this double length episode is packed with thrills and action and it’s great to be able to watch the two parts back to back.

Cleverly using the whole ‘extended family’ of the new series this story serves as a worthy return for the titular baddies.

Rounding off the disc is The Idiot’s Lantern. Written by Mark Gattis this story guest stars Maureen Lipman as The Wire – an alien menace preparing to take over the nation via their TVs.

Set at the time of the Queen’s Coronation in 1953 the episode is blessed with those wonderful period settings only BBC dramas can really pull off. With a fast and frantic pace there’s little time to relax as the Doctor races to save humanity!

With a release date just a few days after the second series comes to a close this is sure to provide a welcome release for those likely to miss their weekly fix.